It was my fault. I didn't book a table at Pietrasanta, that was how we ended up walking even longer down Whitchurch Road to Soprano, the other Italian restaurant. It was either that or Colbar (no air-con, in this lovely haze that we can thank Sumatra for, would be very suicidal to sit alfresco) or Laurent (couldn't countenance dessert for dinner). Well, I don't see how a restaurant that always looks half empty every time I go past, is somehow fully booked and so didn't feel the need to reserve a table.
By then, my friends and I were truly sweaty, having walked from our rendezvous point then across the railway track, up Woking Road then down Whitchurch Road (suffice to say, we got lost. But the road looks different when you are not driving *keke*)
We had a fun time looking through the endless menu of pasta, though some of the spellings escaped me. Pizze? Antipasties? Eh, what's wrong with pizza and antipasti? There was a eye-popping array of pasta, from filled pasta, minute pasta to extruded pasta. The guys and I decided we must have the filled pasta because as I pointed out, this is something we can't cook easily at home. So we all had Agnolotti with different fillings. Mine was Porcini, because I was seduced by the foreign books I read, which all promised merry autumnal sojourns into the forest for porcini, while my compatriots had cheese and spinach filling and salmon filling, I think. The stuffed pasta did not feature much meat, so I ordered my meal to be doused in Bolognese sauce. We also ordered a salmon carpaccio and funghi pizza (which had ham).
The pizza was soggy in the middle, crisp at the sides. We ended up rolling the pizza (yes, rolling) to stop the toppings from falling out. The salmon slices in the carpaccio stuck disturbingly together, making it very obvious that the carpaccio had been prepared very much ahead and just taken out upon order. What really annoyed me was that the porcini turned out to be button mushrooms. Don't fuck with me, seriously, canned button mushrooms == porcini? The restaurant must really turn a pretty penny.
But the pasta was not bad, boring but edible. However the pasta was not cooked thoroughly, that was how I could have one lukewarm bite and then scald myself in another bite of the same Agnolotti.
Nevertheless, we had fun chatting in the restaurant, and I even managed to convince one of the guys to take the Boys of a Feather test (will explain in another entry). Because we were lazy to walk in the haze, and just wanted to continue chilling in our seats, we ordered desserts as well. I was tempted to order the apple tart, but ended up with the Crostata della Nonna. Again because I read the word Nonna, and figured "hey something by Grandma, ok sure".
Well, Grandma you horrible Italian witch you, the crostata tasted incredibly floury. Bert was smarter, he chose the chocolate puffs, while Ernie had gelato. Amazingly there were still people braving the haze and the heat, preferring to sit in the dark.
Ever since I had a terrible time squinting at the menu in Indochine, I swore that I would never eat at a restaurant which only obvious light source was a stupid candle. Which made me even more glad, when I saw a small grey mouse scurrying across the restaurant floor. I was amazed that even at my exclamation and frantic gesticulating, the wait staff acted like they didn't see Ratatouile in the restaurant. Bert also saw the mouse, but being numbed by his Long Island tea, he merely smiled at the sight and confirmed he saw the mouse to Ernie who sat near the window and didn't see the mouse.
PS. I came from work, so there are no photos. Sigh. So the image is from Epicurative. I note with interest that at least he has some kind of amuse bouche with his bread. Our bread was accompanied by balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
In a nutshell:
Soprano
7 Portsdown Road
Tel: 6472 2100
Food Quality: Not great. Won't be going back. Hot and Cold.
Price: Insane for the quality
Service: Good.
I won't be returning. I couldn't endure the thought of facing the mouse which had run out of the restaurant, in the washroom, and had a terrible time with the bladder walking along Portsdown Road later.
Total cost of meal including beverages : S$167 thereabouts for 3
By then, my friends and I were truly sweaty, having walked from our rendezvous point then across the railway track, up Woking Road then down Whitchurch Road (suffice to say, we got lost. But the road looks different when you are not driving *keke*)
We had a fun time looking through the endless menu of pasta, though some of the spellings escaped me. Pizze? Antipasties? Eh, what's wrong with pizza and antipasti? There was a eye-popping array of pasta, from filled pasta, minute pasta to extruded pasta. The guys and I decided we must have the filled pasta because as I pointed out, this is something we can't cook easily at home. So we all had Agnolotti with different fillings. Mine was Porcini, because I was seduced by the foreign books I read, which all promised merry autumnal sojourns into the forest for porcini, while my compatriots had cheese and spinach filling and salmon filling, I think. The stuffed pasta did not feature much meat, so I ordered my meal to be doused in Bolognese sauce. We also ordered a salmon carpaccio and funghi pizza (which had ham).
The pizza was soggy in the middle, crisp at the sides. We ended up rolling the pizza (yes, rolling) to stop the toppings from falling out. The salmon slices in the carpaccio stuck disturbingly together, making it very obvious that the carpaccio had been prepared very much ahead and just taken out upon order. What really annoyed me was that the porcini turned out to be button mushrooms. Don't fuck with me, seriously, canned button mushrooms == porcini? The restaurant must really turn a pretty penny.
But the pasta was not bad, boring but edible. However the pasta was not cooked thoroughly, that was how I could have one lukewarm bite and then scald myself in another bite of the same Agnolotti.
Nevertheless, we had fun chatting in the restaurant, and I even managed to convince one of the guys to take the Boys of a Feather test (will explain in another entry). Because we were lazy to walk in the haze, and just wanted to continue chilling in our seats, we ordered desserts as well. I was tempted to order the apple tart, but ended up with the Crostata della Nonna. Again because I read the word Nonna, and figured "hey something by Grandma, ok sure".
Well, Grandma you horrible Italian witch you, the crostata tasted incredibly floury. Bert was smarter, he chose the chocolate puffs, while Ernie had gelato. Amazingly there were still people braving the haze and the heat, preferring to sit in the dark.
Ever since I had a terrible time squinting at the menu in Indochine, I swore that I would never eat at a restaurant which only obvious light source was a stupid candle. Which made me even more glad, when I saw a small grey mouse scurrying across the restaurant floor. I was amazed that even at my exclamation and frantic gesticulating, the wait staff acted like they didn't see Ratatouile in the restaurant. Bert also saw the mouse, but being numbed by his Long Island tea, he merely smiled at the sight and confirmed he saw the mouse to Ernie who sat near the window and didn't see the mouse.
PS. I came from work, so there are no photos. Sigh. So the image is from Epicurative. I note with interest that at least he has some kind of amuse bouche with his bread. Our bread was accompanied by balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
In a nutshell:
Soprano
7 Portsdown Road
Tel: 6472 2100
Food Quality: Not great. Won't be going back. Hot and Cold.
Price: Insane for the quality
Service: Good.
I won't be returning. I couldn't endure the thought of facing the mouse which had run out of the restaurant, in the washroom, and had a terrible time with the bladder walking along Portsdown Road later.
Total cost of meal including beverages : S$167 thereabouts for 3
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